Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls

Tam West

Fresh spring rolls are a healthy snack that can be filled with almost anything. I like a combination of raw vegetables, cooked seafood or meat and the texture of the very thin rice vermicelli, which only takes a few minutes to cook (see below). Wrap the finished spring rolls in cling film and pack some soy sauce too. The dipping sauce in this recipe is really a little treat for Mum and Dad.

Rolls

1	Carrot, sliced into strips
18	Rice paper wrapper, round
½ cup	Mint leaves, fresh
1 cup	Prawn tail, cooked, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise; alternately use shrimp tails
1 serving	Mixed lettuce leaves, enough for 9 rolls
2 cups	Vermicelli, cooked
½ cup	Snow pea sprouts, or bean sprouts
1	Red capsicum, sliced into strips
1	Spring onion, sliced into thin strips (optional)
¼ cup	Fresh coriander

Dipping sauce

3 tsp	Lime juice
3 tsp	Sugar
2 Tbsp	Fish sauce
1 tsp	Garlic, Finely grated
½ tsp	Red chillies, finely diced (optional)
1 Tbsp	Water

Directions

1. Boil the carrot strips in salted water for 2 minutes, drain then plunge into iced water to stop them cooking. Drain well.
2. Fill a large bowl with warm water, dip two rice papers at a time, very carefully, for about 30 seconds, until totally soft. Lay on a clean tea towel.
3. Arrange three mint leaves in the centre of the rice paper, then three shrimps. Top with some pieces of lettuce, a small bundle of vermicelli, a pinch of snow pea shoots, strips of carrot and red capsicum, spring onion and coriander leaves.
4. Leave about 4cm uncovered on each side. Fold the uncovered sides over and inward, then tightly roll the rice paper up. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
5. For the sauce, place all ingredients in a small dish and whisk. This will keep, well covered, in the fridge.

More school holiday recipes from Geoff

• Ginger ginger loaf
• Lime spritzer
• Mini cheerio pies
• Nutty honey banana bars